:Binghamton Devils
{{Short description|Former ice hockey team}}
{{Use mdy dates|date=October 2019}}
{{Pro hockey team
| current =
| bg_color = background:#FFFFFF; border-top:#e1373c 5px solid; border-bottom:#000000 5px solid;
| text_color = #000000
| team = Binghamton Devils
| logo = Binghamton Devils logo.svg
| logosize = 200px
| city = Binghamton, New York
Newark, New Jersey{{refn|name=2021Location|Location during the 2020–21 season.}}
| league = American Hockey League
| conference =
| division = North
| founded = 1998
| arena = Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena
Barnabas Health Hockey House{{refn|name=2021Location}}
| colors = Red, black, white
{{color box|#e1373c}} {{color box|#000000}} {{color box|#FFFFFF}}
| owner = Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
| coach =
| GM =
| captain =
| media = Press & Sun-Bulletin
WICZ, WENE, WINR, WBBI, AHL.TV (Internet)
| affiliates = New Jersey Devils (NHL)
Adirondack Thunder (ECHL)
| name1 = Lowell Lock Monsters
| dates1 = 1998–2006
| name2 = Lowell Devils
| dates2 = 2006–2010
| name3 = Albany Devils
| dates3 = 2010–2017
| name4 = Binghamton Devils
| dates4 = 2017–2021
| name5 = Utica Comets
| dates5 = {{nowrap|2021–present}}
| reg_season_titles =
| division_titles =
| conf_titles =
| calder_cups =
}}
The Binghamton Devils were a professional ice hockey team in the American Hockey League (AHL) that played from 2017 to 2021 as the top minor league affiliate of the National Hockey League (NHL)'s New Jersey Devils.
During the 2017–18 and 2018–19 seasons, the Devils played home games at Floyd L. Maines Veterans Memorial Arena in Binghamton, New York. Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, the team played home games at the New Jersey Devils' practice arena in Newark, New Jersey for the 2020–21 season.
Following this, the team ultimately did not return to Binghamton, and instead relocated to Utica, New York to become the second incarnation of the Utica Comets beginning with the 2021–22 season.
History
On September 26, 2016, shortly after it was announced that the Binghamton Senators were being purchased by their parent club and would move to Belleville, Ontario, for the 2017–18 season as the Belleville Senators,{{cite web|date=September 26, 2016|title=Sens Owner Purchases AHL Team Partners W/ Belleville|url=https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/ottawa-senators-owner-eugene-melnyk-purchases-ahl-team-and-partners-with-city-of-belleville/c-282137476|url-status=live|website=Ottawa Senators|publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160927161711/https://www.nhl.com/senators/news/ottawa-senators-owner-eugene-melnyk-purchases-ahl-team-and-partners-with-city-of-belleville/c-282137476 |archive-date=September 27, 2016 }} the Senators' management said they were working hard to keep AHL hockey in Binghamton for 2017–18 and beyond.{{cite web|date=September 26, 2016|title=A Statement from the Binghamton Senators|url=http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/a-statement-from-the-binghamton-senators/n-5205271|url-status=live|website=OurSports Central|publisher=|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20180113093227/http://www.oursportscentral.com/services/releases/a-statement-from-the-binghamton-senators/n-5205271 |archive-date=January 13, 2018 }}
On January 25, 2017, the Times Union reported that the Albany Devils would move to Binghamton for 2017–18, citing the Devils' average per-game attendance of 2,888 being last in the AHL,{{cite news|last=Dougherty|first=Pete|date=January 25, 2017|title=Sources: Albany Devils leaving for Binghamton|newspaper=Times Union|url=http://www.timesunion.com/sports/article/Sources-Albany-Devils-leaving-for-Binghamton-10884403.php|access-date=January 26, 2017}} although the Binghamton Senators' attendance had been second-to-last at 3,666.{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=AHL1941&sid=2017 |title=2016–17 AHL attendance |website=HockeyDB |access-date=June 4, 2019}} The official announcement of the team's move (and the Binghamton Devils name) was made on January 31, and noted that the organization had signed a five-year operating agreement.{{cite web|last=Kilgannon|first=Trish|date=January 31, 2017|title=Binghamton Secures New AHL Team as Devils Relocate Franchise|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170202074859/http://www.twcnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/sports/2017/01/31/binghamton-gets-new-ahl-team.html|url=http://www.twcnews.com/nys/hudson-valley/sports/2017/01/31/binghamton-gets-new-ahl-team.html|archive-date=February 2, 2017|access-date=February 2, 2017|website=Time Warner Cable News|publisher=}}{{Cite web|date=January 31, 2017|title=NEW JERSEY DEVILS TO RELOCATE AHL AFFILIATE TO BINGHAMTON N.Y. FOR 2017-18 SEASON|url=http://binghamtonsenators.com/news/?article_id=2322|url-status=live|access-date=January 31, 2017|website=Binghamton Senators|language=en|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170219061412/http://binghamtonsenators.com/news/?article_id=2322 |archive-date=February 19, 2017 }}{{Cite web|last=|first=|date=January 31, 2017|title=Devils moving affiliate to Binghamton in 2017-18|url=https://theahl.com/devils-moving-affiliate-to-binghamton-in-2017-18|url-status=live|access-date=January 31, 2017|website=American Hockey League|language=en-US|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170131235742/http://theahl.com/devils-moving-affiliate-to-binghamton-in-2017-18 |archive-date=January 31, 2017 }} Over their first two seasons in Binghamton, the Devils' attendance increased to 3,896{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=AHL1941&sid=2018 |title=2017–18 AHL attendance |website=HockeyDB |access-date=June 4, 2019}} and 3,471{{cite web |url=http://www.hockeydb.com/nhl-attendance/att_graph_season.php?lid=AHL1941&sid=2019 |title=2018–19 AHL attendance |website=HockeyDB |access-date=June 4, 2019}} per game.
Due to the effects of the COVID-19 pandemic, the New Jersey Devils moved their AHL affiliate to their practice rink for home games in Newark, New Jersey, for the 2020–21 season. In April 2021, it was reported there was an ongoing dispute between the local operators of the Binghamton Devils and the New Jersey Devils over moving the team to Newark for the season and demanding affiliation fees that Binghamton could not pay as a result of the pandemic. On April 5, a trademark was filed for the brand "Utica Devils" by Robert Esche, the operator of the Utica Comets, with the Comets' franchise license owned by the Vancouver Canucks.{{Cite web|date=April 16, 2021|title=Potential move of AHL teams puts future of hockey in Binghamton in question|url=https://wbng.com/2021/04/16/potential-move-of-ahl-teams-puts-future-of-hockey-in-binghamton-in-question/|url-status=live|access-date=April 16, 2021|website=WBNG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210416225737/https://wbng.com/2021/04/16/potential-move-of-ahl-teams-puts-future-of-hockey-in-binghamton-in-question/ |archive-date=April 16, 2021 }} According to the B-Devils vice president of operations Tom Mitchell, on April 14, 2021, he was informed by the New Jersey Devils that they planned to move the franchise for the 2021–22 season.{{cite web|last=Menner|first=Nicole|date=April 17, 2021|title=NJ Devils inform Binghamton ownership AHL team will be relocated|url=https://wbng.com/2021/04/17/nj-devils-inform-binghamton-ownership-ahl-team-will-be-relocated/|url-status=live|access-date=April 17, 2021|website=WBNG|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210417190911/https://wbng.com/2021/04/17/nj-devils-inform-binghamton-ownership-ahl-team-will-be-relocated/ |archive-date=April 17, 2021 }} On May 6, the AHL approved the move to Utica, but retained the Comets branding already used by Esche with his current AHL club.{{cite web|date=May 6, 2021|title=Board of Governors Approves Franchise Relocations|url=https://theahl.com/board-of-governors-approves-franchise-relocations|url-status=live|access-date=May 6, 2021|website=American Hockey League|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20210506201534/https://theahl.com/board-of-governors-approves-franchise-relocations |archive-date=May 6, 2021 }}
Season-by-season results
| class="wikitable" style="text-align:center; font-size:100%" | |||||||||||||
| colspan=12|Regular season
!colspan=5|Playoffs | |||||||||||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Season
!Games !Won !Lost !OTL !SOL !Tied !Points !PCT !Goals !Goals !Standing !Year !1st !2nd !3rd !Finals | |||||||||||||
| 2017–18 | 76 | 25 | 38 | 9 | 4 | — | 63 | .414 | 193 | 247 | 5th, North | 2018 | colspan="4"|Did not qualify |
| 2018–19 | 76 | 28 | 41 | 7 | 0 | — | 63 | .414 | 201 | 278 | 8th, North | 2019 | colspan="4"|Did not qualify |
| 2019–20 | 62 | 34 | 24 | 4 | 0 | — | 72 | .581 | 189 | 182 | 4th, North | 2020 | colspan="4"|Season cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic |
| 2020–21 | 35 | 7 | 20 | 5 | 2 | 1{{efn|name=Postponed|A game between the Lehigh Valley Phantoms and Devils was suspended while tied and not completed, resulting in a 1–1 tie and a point for each team.{{Cite web |url=http://www.phantomshockey.com/game-preview-phantoms-devils-game-22/ |title=Game Preview – Phantoms at Devils – Game #22 |website=Lehigh Valley Phantoms |date=April 26, 2021}}}} | 22 | .314 | 89 | 127 | 7th, North | 2021 | colspan="4"|No playoffs were held |
{{notelist}}
References
{{Reflist}}
{{Defunct AHL}}
{{Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment}}
{{Josh Harris}}
{{David Blitzer}}
Category:Harris Blitzer Sports & Entertainment
Category:New Jersey Devils minor league affiliates
Category:Defunct ice hockey teams in New York (state)
Category:Ice hockey clubs established in 2017
Category:Sports in Binghamton, New York
Category:2017 establishments in New York (state)